A keel-laying ceremony was held on Tuesday to mark the start of construction on a new 10,464-cubic-yard trailing suction hopper dredge (TSHD) for The Dutra Group, San Rafael, Calif.
The dredge Adele is being constructed by Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc., Panama City, Fla., for scheduled delivery in late 2028.
The 347'x79'6"x37' twin screw TSHD is based on the Beagle Mk2 design from Royal IHC, Kinderdijk, the Netherlands. The hopper has a V-shaped cross-section and is provided with a single row of bottom doors for quick offloading of dredged material. The design also incorporates a bow connection for efficient material pump-off. The hull shape features a bulbous bow to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency.
The accommodation deckhouse and wheelhouse are situated on the fore ship. The wheelhouse has separate consoles for navigation and dredging, each positioned such that both the helmsman and the dredge master have excellent views of their respective operations.
The dredge has one engine room in the aft of the vessel. The dredge pumps are in a separate pump room and are driven by the main diesel engines through a reduction gearbox. Total installed power is 13,290 hp.
“This state-of-the art, technically efficient new build vessel is designed meet our nation’s maritime infrastructure needs, now and in the future, as the low-cost provider dredging services, including channel deepening, maintenance dredging, beach nourishment and coastal restoration projects,” Harry K. Stewart, president and CEO at The Dutra Group, said in a statement when the dredge was ordered last year. “America’s military and consumers depend on our ability to keep our U.S. waterways open and safe.”
The dredge will be named in honor of Adele Coelho, mother of Bill T. Dutra, founder and chairman of The Dutra Group.
The new dredge represents The Dutra Group's largest ever capital investment, the company said. Upon delivery, Adele will join Dutra’s 9,870-cubic-yard hopper dredge Stuyvesant, delivered from Avondale Shipyard in 1981. The company also owns clamshell and cutter suction dredges.
